Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza was born on November 24, 1632 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Spinoza's parents, Michael and Hannah, were Portuguese and made to convert from Judaism to Christianity. They continued to covertly practice Judaism and were arrested, tortured, and condemned in Portugal during the inquisition. After escaping to Amsterdam, Spinoza's father began working as a merchant and was also a director of the city synagogue. His mother died just before Spinoza turned six years old in 1638. Spinoza was a student at the Talmud-Torah school during his younger years and studied Hebrew and Jewish philosophy. Around age 18, Spinoza along with his brother began a tropical fruit business and met other entrepreneurs from varied religious beliefs that he became long-lasting friends with. Early in his 20's, Spinoza became known as a "potential heretic" while he was teaching classes in a Sabbath school. He and two others were accused of teaching beliefs that were opposite from the historical views of the Bible. Spinoza was formally excommunicated in Amsterdam in 1656 due to his religious views and skepticism of the Bible. [1] Spinoza found employment by grinding optical lenses which is thought to have contributed to his death. Spinoza enjoyed writing alone and turned down the opportunity to teach at Heidelberg in 1673. Spinoza was still working on Political Treatise when he died in 1677. This was published by his friends after his death along with some of his other unpublished writings. [2]
School of Thought
Spinoza was a rationalist who believed that nature, instead of God, is the creator and ruler of the universe. He suggested that humans can find happiness through an understanding of their place in nature and we should live by the guidance of reason. Many felt that this belief was heretical and went against traditions and biblical teachings.[3] Spinoza followed the ideas of Descartes and felt that everything happens for a predetermined reason and there is no actual free will. Human behavior and freedom are based on our own understanding of why we act and make decisions as we do. Spinoza believes that nothing happens by chance alone. While the Jews and Christians were against his philosophy and teachings, his philosophy was appealing to some eighteenth century Europeans who felt it provided another choice as opposed to Materialism, Atheism, and Deism. Spinoza's main ideas that were popular were the unity of things in existence, the order of how things happen, and the meaning of the spiritual and natural in the universe. [4]
Major Writings
Spinoza published his first work on 1663 titled "Principia philosophiae cartesiane" ("Principles of Cartesian Philosophy"). This work was based on geometrics from the work of Descartes. He began working on "Ethics" in 1660 but stopped to finish and publish another work anonymously in 1670, "Tractatus Theologico-Politicus" ("Theologico-Political Treatise"). He was cautious of publishing more works due to disagreement and dislike from the public. [5] His best known book, "Ethics" was later published by his friends and explained his philosophical views of nature and God.
Influenced by/Legacy
Along with, Descartes and Leibniz, Spinoza was considered to be one of the most important Rationalists of the seventeenth century. Machiavelli, Descartes, and Hobbs were sources of influence that were shown throughout his writings. Spinoza was also influenced by the ideas of Stoicism and Jewish Rationalism. He made important contributions in many areas of philosophy. [6]
Further Reading
The Collected Works of Spinoza, Volume I, ed. by Edwin Curley (Princeton, 1985)
The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza, ed. by Don Garrett (Cambridge, 1995)
Henry Allison, Benedict de Spinoza: An Introduction (Yale, 1987)
Roger Scruton, Spinoza (Routledge, 1999)
Genevieve Lloyd, Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Spinoza and the Ethics (Routledge, 1996)
Steven M. Nadler, Spinoza: A Life (Cambridge, 1999)
Edwin M. Curley, Behind the Geometrical Method: A Reading of Spinoza's Ethics (Princeton, 1988)[7]
Table of Contents
Biography
Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza was born on November 24, 1632 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Spinoza's parents, Michael and Hannah, were Portuguese and made to convert from Judaism to Christianity. They continued to covertly practice Judaism and were arrested, tortured, and condemned in Portugal during the inquisition. After escaping to Amsterdam, Spinoza's father began working as a merchant and was also a director of the city synagogue. His mother died just before
School of Thought
Spinoza was a rationalist who believed that nature, instead of God, is the creator and ruler of the universe. He suggested that humans can find happiness through an understanding of their place in nature and we should live by the guidance of reason. Many felt that this belief was heretical and went against traditions and biblical teachings.[3] Spinoza followed the ideas of Descartes and felt that everything happens for a predetermined reason and there is no actual free will. Human behavior and freedom are based on our own understanding of why we act and make decisions as we do. Spinoza believes that nothing happens by chance alone. While the Jews and Christians were against his philosophy and teachings, his philosophy was appealing to some eighteenth century Europeans who felt it provided another choice as opposed to Materialism, Atheism, and Deism. Spinoza's main ideas that were popular were the unity of things in existence, the order of how things happen, and the meaning of the spiritual and natural in the universe. [4]
Major Writings
Spinoza published his first work on 1663 titled "Principia philosophiae cartesiane" ("Principles of Cartesian Philosophy"). This work was based on geometrics from the work of Descartes. He began working on "Ethics" in 1660 but stopped to finish and publish another work anonymously in 1670, "Tractatus Theologico-Politicus" ("Theologico-Political Treatise"). He was cautious of publishing more works due to disagreement and dislike from the public. [5] His best known book, "Ethics" was later published by his friends and explained his philosophical views of nature and God.
Influenced by/Legacy
Along with, Descartes and Leibniz, Spinoza was considered to be one of the most important Rationalists of the seventeenth century. Machiavelli, Descartes, and Hobbs were sources of influence that were shown throughout his writings. Spinoza was also influenced by the ideas of Stoicism and Jewish Rationalism. He made important contributions in many areas of philosophy. [6]
Further Reading